2010 Hyundai Santa Fe SUV Facelift Scooped, gets new Diesel and Gasoline Engines

It's facelift time for Hyundai's mid-size SUV or if you prefer, crossover - who can tell the difference any more... In view of the fact that the latest generation Santa Fe has only been around for three years, don't expect to see any major cosmetic changes, just minor tweaks here and there that will include reshaped headlights and tail lamps along with restyled bumpers, new mirrors that incorporate turning signals and different alloy wheel designs.

Our spy photographers didn't manage to scoop the prototype's interior but our sources state that Hyundai will update the cabin with new trim options and add a few toys to the vehicle's equipment list.

Hyundai has paid more attention under the skin as the refreshed Santa Fe will benefit from the presentation of at least two new powertrain options including the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder Theta II gasoline engine that produces 175HP at 6,000 rpm and 168 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm. The second-generation Theta engine that can be mated to a five-speed manual or automatic transmission has already been confirmed for the U.S. market. Up until now, the Santa Fe was offered in the States only with a 2.7-liter V6 and 3.3-liter V6.

In Europe, Korea and other international markets, the 2010 Santa Fe facelift will also be available with Hyundai's newly developed 2.2-liter 4-cylinder 'R' diesel engine that cranks out 197HP and 435Nm or 320.1 lbs/ft of torque.

Though not officially confirmed, Carscoop's sources state that in the USA, Hyundai will replace the current 242HP 3.3-liter V6 with the Korean firm's new 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 277HP and 335 Nm or 247 lbs/ft of torque.

Expect to see the 2010 Santa Fe making its debut at the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September with the first cars arriving in Hyundai's dealerships on both sides of the Atlantic shortly after.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Aston Martin Rapide: New Photo and Details on Production Model

With the development of the Rapide moving into its final stages, Aston Martin decided to released one more photo and more importantly, new details on its Porsche Panamera rivaling sports sedan. On course for a public debut at the Frankfurt Show in September with the first customer cars planned to be delivered in early 2010, the production model differs only in a few minor details compared to the Rapide Concept that was shown at the Detroit Auto Show in 2006.

In its latest press release, the British maker revealed that the much anticipated Rapide will be powered by a version of Aston Martin's 6.0-liter V12 engine producing 470bhp and 600Nm of torque. Power will be driven to the rear wheels through Aston Martin's paddle-operated six-speed Touchtronic automatic transmission. While performance figures have yet to be revealed, the British marque claims that early indications are that the four-seater sports sedan will offer 'class-leading performance and dynamics.'

Aston Martin Chief Executive, Dr. Ulrich Bez said: "The Rapide will be the most elegant four-door sports car in the world. It completes the Aston Martin range conveying our established attributes of Power, Beauty and Soul. In 2010 there will be an Aston Martin for every type of sports car customer regardless of the demands of their lifestyle. The Rapide is the most versatile, bringing a new benchmark of luxury and refinement to both driver and passenger."

"Rapide will exceed expectations to deliver elegance and practicality in a form that will allow driving enjoyment and comfort beyond anything that exists today," added Dr Ulrich Bez, "The Rapide will exist in a class all of its own, a true Aston Martin with the high performance and dynamic excellence that defines the brand, and a luxurious sporting grand tourer without equal."

The production version of the Rapide will be the first car in Aston Martin's history to be built out of Britain as production will be carried out by Magna Steyr at the firm's Austrian plant in Graz.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

2010 Opel Astra: First Official Photos of Hatch, GTC Coupe and Estate models

These are the first full blown photos of GM's all-new Opel / Vauxhall Astra that is destined to make its world debut as a five-door hatchback at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2009. Along with the photos of the five-door model, Opel also released two sketches depicting the new Astra GTC which looks more like a fastback coupe than your traditional three-door hatchback, and the more practical and spacious Astra Estate.

As expected, the new Astra's exterior styling echoes that of the well received Insignia with details such as the shape of the headlamps, the roofline and the concave surfacing on the doors all pointing towards the larger Opel. Overall, the new Astra hatch looks sportier and more dynamic in an upscale sort of way compared to the current generation model.

While Opel has yet to release photos of the interior, previous spy shots reveal that the Astra's interior is heavily inspired from the Insignia with the dashboard featuring four deeply positioned instrument dials in front of the driver and a swoopy central console with an elevated lower part.

All three variants of the Astra are based on GM's new front-wheel-drive Delta platform that is also found on the Chevrolet Cruze and Volt models. However, from what we learnt, the chassis has been modified by Opel's engineers to offer more dynamic handling to Opel's trio.

The 2010 Astras will be available with numerous diesel and gasoline powertrains including GM's an all-new 1.4-liter turbocharged petrol engine that will be offered with outputs ranging from 120 hp to 140 hp and torque values between 175 and 200 Nm.

The 5-door hatchback versions of the newly developed Astra will find their way to Opel showrooms across Europe by the end of the year, while the GTC coupe and the Estate variants should follow by mid-2010.

It remains to be seen when, or better yet if, General Motors will bring the Astra to the States.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

BMW X1 SUV Sheds its Camouflage in new Spy Shots

Carscoop's spy photographers have been working overtime lately managing to capture not one but two prototypes of the new BMW X1 small SUV - Crossover during development testing in and around the Nurburgring. In these latest scoops, BMW's forthcoming VW Tiguan and Toyota RAV-4 rival has lost most of its camouflage giving us a better view of the vehicle's design. As you can see in the photos, with the exception of a few minor details such as the absence of the aluminum skid trays and decorative rocker panels, the production model is almost identical to last year's Paris Show concept study.

This means that the X1 retains the concept's concave body surfacing and fussy detailing as well as the oversize kidney grilles inspired from the new 7-Series. In terms of size, the X1 is slightly smaller than the X3 measuring in at just under 4,500 mm or 175-in length, or around 112 mm (4.4-in.) shorter than its big brother which stands at 4,569 mm or 179-in. However, keep in mind that the next generation X3 will grow in size.

Beneath the sheetmetal, the X1 shares its underpinnings with the four-wheel-drive version of the BMW 3-series, though it has been rumored that BMW may offer rear-wheel drive versions of the SUV bearing the 'sDrive' moniker wheras the AWD variants will get the xDrive nameplate.

When the X1 goes on sale in Europe at the end of the year (there's no word yet on when and if North America will get the X1), it will be offered with a handful of gasoline and diesel powertrains.

The petrol range will include an entry-level 2.0-liter four-pot with 143 and 170HP along with the 3.0-liter straight-six units producing up to 265HP. Europeans will most likely be more interested in the diesel line-up that will consist of 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engines delivering between 143 and 204HP and six-cylinder units with up to 245HP.

And how about an X1M version, since BMW has already introduced its first ever 'M' crossovers with the X5M and X6M? We have no information whatsoever on a possible M variant of the X1, and to be frank, we seriously doubt that the Bavarian automaker will consider developing such a model for its small crossover.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com